Cherwell District Council is the latest local authority to condemn the government over its plans to reopen a controversial immigration centre.

A motion to call for the home secretary Yvette Cooper to reserve her decision to reopen Campsfield House in Kidlington was agreed by the full council on Monday, October 21. 

This follows on from Oxford City Council which voted overwhelmingly in favour of its own motion against the plan. 

The house is in Cherwell District Council's boundary, and has been mired in controversy. 

Before the motion was presented by Green Party councillor Ian Middleton, Geoff Taylor, a Kidlington resident and member of the Keep Campsfield Closed campaign group, addressed the meeting.

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Campsfield House (Image: Contributed) He said: “Campsfield House is a humanitarian stain on the Cherwell district.

"Over Campsfield's 25-year history, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants were taken and literally imprisoned behind fences topped with razor wire, locked up indefinitely without charge for weeks, months and even as much as three years. 

“Life inside Campsfield was so bad that detainees fought back with riots, hunger strikes and setting fire to buildings. If reopened, there would be no reason to expect a different outcome. 

“They were locked up purely for administrative convenience. Campsfield House must not be reopened. I commend this motion to the council.”

Mr Middleton said: “The closure of Campsfield House came after campaigns from residents and asylum support groups who were unhappy that such a facility should be housed there or anywhere.

“It was a site of regular protest from human rights groups. These centres have optimised our questionable treatment of refugees, detained here looking for shelter. 

“It was a shock that the Labour government announced it was going to continue the plans to reopen it.”

He added: “The best way to prevent trafficking is to provide safe, legal routes into the UK for those seeking asylum. 

“Detention is also counter-productive with the huge costs involved. 

“Reopening Campsfield is another backwards strep from a government we all expected better from. 

“We should follow the example of the city council and publicly oppose its reopening.”

Eddie Reeves, leader of Conservative group, said: “Campsfield House is not an ideal facility, indeed in the past it has had a chequered history and none of us wish to start from here. Labour colleagues are finding that government is difficult. Difficult decisions need to be made. 

“To those who object to Campsfield House reopening, are you questioning the principles that facilities like Campsfield House should exist or are you questioning if they should exist here? If the latter, it is Nimbyism, pure and simple. 

“I cannot support this motion, because this is a matter for the Home Office.”

The motion was passed with 25 votes for, six against and 12 abstentions.